by Fabrizio Hochschild

The Chinese New Year falls at a time with the world on the move, but the outlook is troubling. There is growing tension between major countries, rising protectionism and a looming threat of trade wars. This can hasten the trend toward a more fragmented global order with less predictability, greater inequality and slower progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Amidst global rivalries, we are distracted and falling behind in addressing the three major challenges of our time: climate change, the resurgence of conflicts and governance of runaway emerging technologies.

2024 was the hottest year on record, with average temperatures rising 1.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is the second consecutive year that global temperatures have reached unprecedented highs. The target of the 2015 climate accord was to limit warming to an average of 1.5 degrees Celsius. A one-off breach does not yet violate the Paris Climate Agreement goal, but experts are skeptical that we can limit warming to 1.5 degrees in the coming decades.

The effects are already with us and will only worsen with torrential rains, more intense tropical cyclones in some parts of the world, and worsening droughts and forest fires causing deaths, displacement and unprecedented destruction. But several governments have slowed or reversed commitments to combat climate change.

Geopolitical uncertainties further weaken the prospects for enhanced international cooperation to address the trend. According to UN studies, direct war-related deaths, refugee numbers, military spending and terrorist incidents have all reached historic highs in recent years. Amidst heightened rivalry among major countries, the UN Security Council, its most powerful body, has proved unable to reach an agreement on how to effectively respond.

Global uncertainties are also being fueled by runaway technologies, whose social and political impacts remain unclear. For the first time, technology -- notably advanced AI applications -- threatens to replace capacities once thought to be uniquely human.

New technologies know no borders. What are the ethical implications? How will they affect the job market, crime and global security? International cooperation on these challenges is in its infancy and failing to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change.

We have entered the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom, flexibility and adaptability. In times of threats and uncertainties, these qualities will be essential to fostering global stability, progress on sustainable development and multilateral cooperation in the year ahead.

Chinese initiatives and leadership, inspired by these values and a willingness to forge bridges over growing divides, will be crucial to bringing the world back on track to face the most urgent challenges of our time.

Editor's note: Fabrizio Hochschild is a former under-secretary-general of the United Nations.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.

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